Two Can Play That Game (Leanne Yong, A&U Children’s)

Leanne Yong’s debut Two Can Play That Game is a joyful and fun addition to the growing Asian-Australian Own Voices YA movement, joining the likes of Tiger Daughter and The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling. More light-hearted than those novels, Two Can Play That Game is a gentle enemies-to-lovers romance exploring everyday challenges around establishing a young adult identity. Yong does this with a great sense of humour and deep empathy for young people trying to find a balance between the demands of two cultures. Sam is determined to prove herself as an indie game developer at the expense of all other distractions (a category in which she includes boyfriends, parties, and even university degrees). When another member of the Australian-Malaysian community, Jay, gets the last ticket to a coveted game design workshop, Sam proposes a gaming challenge to determine who deserves the ticket more. The real challenge for Sam, however, is learning to expand her definition of success. Although Sam and Jay’s difficulty in meeting expectations in two worlds will resonate with many readers, the games they play are described in detail in language that may be esoteric for non-gamers. Yong seems to have a deep understanding of the overlapping second-generation migrant and gaming communities represented in the text, and her passion for the games and game design is very clear. This a novel that will make readers with similar interests and backgrounds feel seen and validated.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Ilona Urquhart is a children’s and youth services librarian on Victoria's Bellarine Peninsula and has a PhD in literary studies Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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